repair-broken-references
About
This skill automatically detects and fixes broken references in codebases, including dead links, stale imports, and orphaned files. Use it to maintain project integrity when internal links break, external URLs fail, or module imports become outdated. It ensures all cross-references remain valid by scanning and repairing connections across your project.
Quick Install
Claude Code
Recommendednpx skills add pjt222/agent-almanac -a claude-code/plugin add https://github.com/pjt222/agent-almanacgit clone https://github.com/pjt222/agent-almanac.git ~/.claude/skills/repair-broken-referencesCopy and paste this command in Claude Code to install this skill
Documentation
壊れた参照の修復
使用タイミング
Use this skill when project references have become stale:
- Documentation contains broken internal links
- External URLs return 404 errors
- Import statements reference moved or deleted modules
- Cross-references between files are out of sync
- Files exist but are never referenced anywhere
Do NOT use for refactoring module dependencies or redesigning information architecture. This skill repairs existing references, not restructures them.
入力
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
project_path | string | Yes | Absolute path to project root |
check_external | boolean | No | Verify external URLs (default: true, slow) |
fix_mode | enum | No | auto (fix obvious), report (document only), interactive (prompt) |
orphan_threshold | integer | No | Days since last modified to flag as orphan (default: 180) |
手順
ステップ1: Scan for Broken Internal Links
Find all markdown links pointing to non-existent files.
# Find all markdown files
find . -name "*.md" -type f > markdown_files.txt
# Extract all markdown links: [text](path)
grep -oP '\[.*?\]\(\K[^)]+' *.md | sort | uniq > all_links.txt
# For each link:
while read link; do
# Skip external URLs (http/https)
if [[ "$link" =~ ^https?:// ]]; then
continue
fi
# Resolve relative path
target=$(realpath -m "$link")
# Check if target exists
if [ ! -e "$target" ]; then
echo "BROKEN: $link (referenced in $file)" >> broken_internal.txt
fi
done < all_links.txt
期待結果: broken_internal.txt lists all broken internal references
失敗時: If realpath unavailable, manually check each link
ステップ2: Check External URLs
Verify that external links are still accessible (HTTP 200 response).
# Extract external URLs
grep -ohP 'https?://[^\s\)]+' *.md | sort | uniq > external_urls.txt
# Check each URL (rate-limit to avoid bans)
while read url; do
status=$(curl -o /dev/null -s -w "%{http_code}" "$url")
if [ "$status" -ge 400 ]; then
echo "DEAD ($status): $url" >> dead_urls.txt
fi
sleep 0.5 # Rate limit
done < external_urls.txt
期待結果: dead_urls.txt lists URLs returning 4xx/5xx errors
失敗時: If curl unavailable or blocked, use online link checker or skip
Note: Some URLs may return 403 due to bot detection but work in browsers. Manual review required.
ステップ3: Find Broken Imports
Check that all import/require statements reference existing modules.
JavaScript/TypeScript:
# Find all import statements
grep -rh "^import.*from ['\"]" . | sed -E "s/.*from ['\"]([^'\"]+)['\"].*/\1/" > imports.txt
# For each import:
while read import; do
# Skip node_modules and external packages
if [[ "$import" =~ ^[./] ]]; then
# Resolve to file path
target="${import}.js" # Try .js, .ts, .jsx, .tsx
if [ ! -e "$target" ]; then
echo "BROKEN IMPORT: $import" >> broken_imports.txt
fi
fi
done < imports.txt
Python:
# Find all import statements
grep -rh "^from .* import\|^import " . --include="*.py" | \
sed -E "s/from ([^ ]+) import.*/\1/" | \
sed -E "s/import ([^ ]+)/\1/" > imports.txt
# For each local import (starts with .)
# Check if module file exists
R:
# Find library() and source() calls
grep -rh "library(\\|source(" . --include="*.R" | \
sed -E 's/.*library\("([^"]+)"\).*/\1/' > packages.txt
# For source() calls, check if file exists
# For library() calls, check if package installed
Rscript -e "installed.packages()[,'Package']" > installed_packages.txt
期待結果: broken_imports.txt lists all references to deleted/moved modules
失敗時: If language-specific tool unavailable, manually review recent refactoring commits
ステップ4: Find Orphaned Files
Identify files that exist but are never referenced anywhere.
# Find all code files
find . -type f \( -name "*.js" -o -name "*.py" -o -name "*.R" \) > all_files.txt
# For each file:
while read file; do
basename=$(basename "$file")
# Search for references (import, require, source, href, link)
refs=$(grep -r "$basename" . --exclude-dir=node_modules --exclude-dir=.git | wc -l)
# If only 1 reference (itself):
if [ "$refs" -le 1 ]; then
# Check last modified date
last_mod=$(git log -1 --format="%ci" "$file")
# If modified more than orphan_threshold days ago
# Flag as potential orphan
echo "ORPHAN: $file (last modified: $last_mod)" >> orphans.txt
fi
done < all_files.txt
期待結果: orphans.txt lists files not referenced elsewhere
失敗時: If git log fails, use filesystem mtime instead
Note: Some files (e.g., CLI entry points, top-level scripts) are legitimately unreferenced but not orphans. Requires manual review.
ステップ5: Fix Internal Links
Repair broken internal references using one of three strategies:
Strategy 1: Find Moved Files
# For each broken link, search for file by name
while read broken_link; do
filename=$(basename "$broken_link")
# Search for file in project
found=$(find . -name "$filename" | head -1)
if [ -n "$found" ]; then
# Update link to new path
old_path="$broken_link"
new_path="$found"
# Use Edit tool to replace in all markdown files
echo "FIX: $old_path -> $new_path"
fi
done < broken_internal.txt
Strategy 2: Create Redirect Stub
# If file was deleted intentionally, create redirect stub
echo "# Moved" > "$broken_link"
echo "This content moved to [new location](new_path.md)" >> "$broken_link"
Strategy 3: Remove Dead Link
# If content no longer exists, remove link (keep text)
# Replace [text](broken_link) with text (plain)
期待結果: All broken internal links either fixed, redirected, or removed
失敗時: If automated fix breaks context, escalate for manual review
ステップ6: Fix Broken Imports
Update import statements to reference correct paths after moves.
JavaScript Example:
// Before (broken)
import { helper } from './utils/helper';
// After (fixed — file moved to lib/)
import { helper } from './lib/helper';
For each broken import:
- Locate the moved module (similar to Step 5)
- Update import path in all files referencing it
- Run linter/type checker to verify fix
期待結果: All imports resolve correctly; no module-not-found errors
失敗時: If module was truly deleted, escalate to determine if functionality still needed
ステップ7: Document Orphaned Files
For files flagged as orphans, determine disposition:
- Keep: Legitimately unreferenced (entry points, scripts, templates)
- Archive: Old code no longer needed but preserve history
- Delete: Dead code with no value
# Orphaned Files Review
| File | Last Modified | Recommendation | Reason |
|------|---------------|----------------|--------|
| scripts/old_deploy.sh | 2024-01-05 | Archive | Replaced by CI/CD |
| src/legacy_api.js | 2023-06-12 | Delete | API v1 fully deprecated |
| bin/cli.py | 2025-12-01 | Keep | CLI entry point (unreferenced by design) |
期待結果: Orphan review document created; automated decisions flagged for human approval
失敗時: (N/A — document even if no clear disposition)
ステップ8: Generate Repair Report
Summarize all broken references and fixes applied.
# Reference Repair Report
**Date**: YYYY-MM-DD
**Project**: <project_name>
**Fix Mode**: auto | report | interactive
## Broken Internal Links
- Total: X
- Fixed: Y
- Redirected: Z
- Escalated: W
Details:
- [file.md](file.md) line 45: Fixed broken link to moved doc
- [another.md](another.md) line 12: Created redirect stub
## Dead External URLs
- Total: X
- Fixed (wayback machine): Y
- Removed: Z
Details:
- https://example.com/old-page (404) → Removed
- https://api.old.com/docs (gone) → Replaced with new docs
## Broken Imports
- Total: X
- Fixed: Y
- Escalated: Z
Details:
- src/main.js line 3: Updated import path after refactor
## Orphaned Files
- Total: X
- Kept: Y
- Archived: Z
- Escalated for review: W
See ORPHAN_REVIEW.md for full analysis.
## Validation
- [x] All tests pass after fixes
- [x] Linter reports no module-not-found errors
- [x] Dead links documented in report
期待結果: Report saved to REFERENCE_REPAIR_REPORT.md
失敗時: (N/A — generate report regardless)
バリデーション Checklist
After repairs:
- No broken internal links in documentation
- Dead external URLs documented (not all fixable)
- All imports resolve correctly
- Orphaned files reviewed and dispositioned
- Tests pass after import fixes
- Linter reports no unresolved references
- Git history preserved (used
git mvfor any moves)
よくある落とし穴
-
Automatic URL Fixes Break Context: Replacing dead links with web.archive.org URLs may not be what the author intended. Some links are better removed.
-
Over-Aggressive Orphan Deletion: Entry points, CLI scripts, and templates are often unreferenced by design. Don't delete without review.
-
Import Path Assumptions: Assuming all relative imports use the same base path. Different module systems (CommonJS, ES6, TypeScript) handle paths differently.
-
External URL False Positives: Some sites block curl/bots but work fine in browsers. Always manually verify dead URLs.
-
Circular Reference Traps: File A imports B, B imports A. Updating one breaks the other. Requires simultaneous fix.
-
Ignoring Fragment Identifiers: Fixing
[link](#section)requires checking if#sectionanchor exists, not just if file exists. -
Wrong R binary on hybrid systems: On WSL or Docker,
Rscriptmay resolve to a cross-platform wrapper instead of native R. Check withwhich Rscript && Rscript --version. Prefer the native R binary (e.g.,/usr/local/bin/Rscripton Linux/WSL) for reliability. See Setting Up Your Environment for R path configuration.
関連スキル
- clean-codebase — Remove dead code after confirming orphans
- tidy-project-structure — Reorganize files (may create broken references)
- escalate-issues — Route complex reference issues to specialists
- compliance/documentation-audit — Comprehensive documentation review
- web-dev/link-checker — Advanced external URL validation
GitHub Repository
Related Skills
railway-docs
DocumentationThis skill fetches current Railway documentation to answer questions about features, functionality, or specific docs URLs. It ensures developers receive accurate, up-to-date information directly from Railway's official sources. Use it when users ask how Railway works or reference Railway documentation.
n8n-code-python
DocumentationThis Claude Skill provides expert guidance for writing Python code in n8n's Code nodes, specifically for using Python's standard library and working with n8n's special syntax like `_input`, `_json`, and `_node`. It helps developers understand Python's limitations within n8n and recommends using JavaScript for most workflows while offering Python solutions for specific data transformation needs.
archon
DocumentationThe Archon skill provides RAG-powered semantic search and project management through a REST API. Use it for querying documentation, managing hierarchical projects/tasks, and performing knowledge retrieval with document upload capabilities. Always prioritize Archon first when searching external documentation before using other sources.
n8n-code-javascript
DocumentationThis Claude Skill provides expert guidance for writing JavaScript code in n8n's Code nodes. It covers essential n8n-specific syntax like `$input`/`$json` variables, HTTP helpers, and DateTime handling, while troubleshooting common errors. Use it when developing n8n workflows that require custom JavaScript processing in Code nodes.
